Giving of Ourselves

 

I hate acorns. Botanically speaking, acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. We have a big oak tree in our backyard and it produces ten thousand or more acorns in a year. I’m in the yard every weekend picking them up. I also have to pull up little oak trees that sprout each spring.  In contrast, the neighborhood squirrels are thrilled to have the tree in our yard, feasting on the abundant supply of acorns and happily digging holes in the lawn to store some up for the winter.

 

We can learn from the oak tree. Its purpose in life is to grow and produce fruit. Some may be nourished by it, others might find it irritating, but that doesn’t matter to the tree.  It goes faithfully about its appointed task.

 

We are called to live fruitful lives, to give of ourselves freely and abundantly. That is our nature if we are one with Christ, who gave of Himself freely and abundantly. We give even though we may not see the fruits of our giving, or even if others are resentful of us. Our goal is to be faithful to the call we have received, knowing that, if we are faithful, our giving will produce fruit for God’s kingdom. We persist because the Spirit gives us all that we need to go onward. We rejoice in the knowledge that the Father has chosen to use us to accomplish His will in the world around us. Jesus tells us, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…..This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5,8).

 

As we approach Christmas, the season of giving, let us continue to give of ourselves, trusting in God to use whatever we give for His purpose. Let us not lose heart if we don’t see obvious results from what we do, but persist in our faithful service.